Forge your destiny into a sword, slash your soul and ascend to immortality

Chapter 114 Dharma Image Experience Ascension Experience
This [Six Paths of Reincarnation Sword Technique] contains the true meaning of the Great Dao of Life and Death Reincarnation, controlling life and death, and is incredibly powerful.

With the sword strike, Jing Qian's cultivation of the [Yanfu Dao] was like having a string to string pearls together.

The fusion of numerous powerful forces, combined with the enhancement of his swordsmanship, actually surpassed the [Heaven-Opening Sword Stance]!
The difference in rank between the two sword techniques is similar, but the power contained within the Six Paths of Reincarnation Sword Technique is far superior!
Without a doubt, Jing Qian's combat power was greatly enhanced by the [Sword Momentum]!

If the current environment weren't so unsuitable, he would have already entered the Life Stele space to spar with [Qiongqi] and [Thunderbird].

At this moment, Jing Qian's strongest sword strike under normal conditions is the combination of the [Burying] sword light and the [Six Paths Reincarnation Sword Stance].

He was extremely confident that he could kill the sonic-transformed Qiongqi with a single sword strike!
The creation of just one [Blue Blood] destiny completely changed Jing Qian's combat power system.

This is precisely the unique aspect of the [Pure Yang Heaven] lineage!

If we consider the rigorous, profound, and deeply rooted cultivation methods of Jambudvipa as the inner foundation of cultivation, we call it the "body".

The sharp, decisive, and unconventional combat system of the Pure Yang Heaven is the external skill of cultivation, which is called "application".

As the saying goes, substance and function share the same origin, and the manifest and the subtle are inextricably linked!

Whether it's fundamental cultivation or the techniques for developing one's cultivation, both theory and practice are extremely important and indispensable.

The [Yanfu Dao] excels at accumulating, refining magical power, and increasing cultivation level. This is their specialty. They often suck up flesh and blood, capture a few ghosts, and refine a few organs.

If we only consider cultivation level, [Yanfuzi] would definitely crush his generation, being dozens of times stronger than [Chunyangzi] of the same generation, and even more so.

The Pure Yang Heaven is skilled in transformation and wishes to devote all its energy to improving the efficiency of combat power transformation.

With even a fraction of magical power, one can unleash ten times the might, regardless of realm, cultivation level, or spiritual energy.

As long as a single sword aura, squeezed out to its limit, can break through the opponent's defense, they dare to go all in and attempt to defeat the strong with the weak.

The difference between these two traditions is so stark.

Jing Qian, this freak who combined the advantages of both the [Yanfu Dao] and [Chunyang Tian], began to influence the world in his own way, starting from the lower three ranks.

This [Sword Intent] destiny is also another key breakthrough for him in unifying the power of the two major traditions.

After completing the refinement, he immediately immersed himself in comprehending this [Destiny].

It wasn't until the third day that Jing Qian slowly withdrew from the situation.

Looking around, more than half of the cultivators had failed to refine their [Destiny] on time and were forced to be eliminated.

However, having reached this point, everyone present has already obtained precious magical artifacts, a [Destiny] refining method, and the corresponding materials, making it a very fruitful achievement!

The remaining thirty-three people are all promising talents with exceptional abilities, comprehension, and background.

Everyone has undergone two extremely challenging tests, witnessed the terrifying power of the Divine Dynasty, and their temperament has changed drastically.

His original arrogance and haughtiness have been completely washed away, and he has even gained a sense of composure.

Beside Jing Qian, Fan Zhuoyan was already a top genius with two [Spiritual Abilities] by his side, so he naturally passed the test with ease.

However, his method of passing the level was completely different from Jing Qian's!
Clans like the Fan family of Jinhetang, which are deeply connected to the Divine Dynasty, have their own shortcuts prepared for their descendants.

As early as the peak of the family, some of the elders had submitted the advanced [Destiny] refining methods they had prepared in advance to the Divine Dynasty Academy for record-keeping.

Later generations of disciples, from the time they can remember, can study the family's secret method of refining their destiny.

When the sacrificial feast begins, what others face as a test of comprehension, requiring them to complete it within three days and putting immense pressure on them, is a long-awaited and natural opportunity for these contestants who have had their readings opened early, a chance to improve their strength.

No need to waste time choosing, no need to spend energy researching, just follow the steps of the ritual.

In this way, the great families of the Divine Dynasty can not only secure a higher chance for their future disciples to pass the Academy's sacrificial banquet.

Furthermore, one can obtain a high-level material for refining [Destiny] for free.

Under these circumstances, Fan Zhuoyan easily cultivated the family's secret [Golden Silk Qi] destiny, which is a [Purple Eyes] level Yuan Qi destiny.

The number of high-level [Destiny] cultivation methods that have been incorporated into the academy by the various families under the rule of the Divine Dynasty is also an important standard for measuring the family's foundation.

Only those with more than ten "fate patterns" filling the academy can be called "clans" and have a special political status.

Even a family like the Fan family, which has achieved some success, is still quite a distance from being considered a powerful clan.

In fact, at least half of the remaining thirty-three people are in a similar situation to Fan Zhuoyan.

Within the system of the Divine Dynasty, these well-established "clans" and family members are the core small group of seeds for achieving enlightenment.

Jing Qian's ability to blend in and even demonstrate superior achievements makes him an outlier.

Once the second round of assessments concludes, the third round will begin immediately!
The high priest spoke again:
"In the third round, I will invite all of you outstanding talents to experience the condensation of the [Dharma Image] in advance."

"All students may come before the Mysterious Mirror of Mystic Mirror in my divine dynasty, reflect yourselves, and conjure a magical phantom in the world within the mirror, attempting to condense a Dharma form."

"Those who attain a superior Dharma Aspect at the eighth rank of cultivation, those who attain a mid-grade Dharma Aspect at the ninth rank of cultivation, or those who condense a perfect Dharma Aspect, may pass this test!"

"However, it is already quite an achievement for you students to have come this far. Even if you have not been able to condense your Dharma form and become disciples of one of the twelve Dharma lineages of the academy, you can still go to other Dharma lineages registered with my academy to cultivate and you will still be able to get a glimpse of the cultivation realm of the upper three grades."

After saying that, he waved his hand again and threw out a crystal-clear palm-sized jade mirror.

This mirror grows taller when exposed to the wind, and when it fell to the ground, it was already as tall as a two-story building!

Including Jing Qian, there were a total of thirty-four people. When they walked in front of the mirror, they could be easily reflected in its image.

Jing Qian gazed at the jade mirror, and with a thought, his [Worldly Understanding] revealed its information:

[Inspiration: The Mysterious Mirror]

【Category: Outer Moon】

[Rank: Third Grade]

[Subjugation Requirements: Appearance of a Spiritual Treasure, Chief Priest of the Academy]

【Life span burden: January/Day】

Using a third-grade [Spiritual Ability] to help a group of eighth- and ninth-grade minor cultivators evolve their Dharma forms is another manifestation of the divine dynasty's profound strength.

This academy's sacrificial banquet was essentially a generous distribution of benefits by the divine dynasty to cultivate its core disciples.

It has everything: precious materials, destiny charts, and guidance on spiritual practice.

Regardless of which lineage these people ultimately choose to cultivate in, they will all owe the Divine Dynasty a great favor.

Jing Qian was quite satisfied with these increasingly high-end opportunities and benefits.

The advance rehearsal of the Dharma form greatly helped his subsequent cultivation.

No matter how high his combat power has risen, his actual cultivation level is only the eighth rank [Dragon Elephant].

There was no fundamental difference between them and those around them.

As he and the others projected their divine senses onto the mirror, a thought flashed through his mind, and he found himself in a unique space.

Here, boundless primordial energy enveloped his body, fulfilling his needs for advancement.

Jing Qian had already reached the edge of promotion, relying entirely on his own efforts to suppress the birth of the Dharma Form.

This time, being in the illusion, he released all his inhibitions, and his cultivation advancement was directly triggered.

Instantly, boundless Azure Wing Life Essence erupted from his sea of ​​consciousness, and the assembled Destiny beings were unable to resist, drawn in by this Life Essence.

The so-called condensation of the Dharma form arises from the flames ignited by burning the [Life Essence], and is born from the profound meaning of the Great Dao stimulated by the burning of the [Destiny].

The more life essence invested, the more life essence is forged, the higher the rank of the life essence, the more compatible they are with each other, and the stronger the resulting Dharma form will be.

Dharma forms also have different ranks. Lower-grade Dharma forms cannot be burned to a higher-rank [lifespan]. Once condensed, the path to enlightenment is severed, so it's better to die sooner rather than later, to avoid wasting vital energy.

With a mid-grade Dharma form, there is a chance to attain immortality, or even glimpse the realm of "Star Picking".

Only those with superior Dharma forms are qualified to pursue the elusive and ethereal realm of the upper three grades.

If these candidates before us cannot condense a Dharma Image of at least the [Middle Grade] level within this illusionary scene of the academy's sacrificial banquet, then they naturally lack sufficient foundation and are not worthy of entering a top-tier Dharma lineage.

In addition to the three grades of Dharma appearance, there is also the concept of "perfect Dharma appearance".

The so-called "perfect Dharma form" does not represent a new rank, but rather describes the unique state in which a cultivator condenses a Dharma form.

If a cultivator's [Life Essence] power is strong enough, they can burn out all the Great Dao meanings within the [Life Form] they are refining, and then solidify all of these Great Dao meanings into their Dharma Form.

To achieve this level is equivalent to fully utilizing all one's potential without any waste.

In this way, the condensed Dharma form is what is known as the "perfect Dharma form".

Once a cultivator condenses a "perfect Dharma form," other divine manifestations will appear, which can be regarded as a Dharma form of a higher grade.

A low-grade perfect Dharma form is even more powerful than a mid-grade Dharma form, and its assistance to cultivation is no less, enough to meet the needs of further advancement.

For some lineages, it is even possible to deliberately refine low-grade [Destiny] in order to pursue a perfect Dharma form of a lower grade.

As for someone like Jing Qian, who has cultivated a large number of [Destiny Element]s and raised them all to the [Heavenly Mandate] level, it is unknown how much magical power he would need to consume to cultivate a perfect Dharma Image.

This is almost impossible to accomplish.

At this moment, his [Life Essence] cultivation has exceeded two hundred. Considering the blessing of being possessed by a ghost, many [Earthly Fiend] cultivators might not be able to match his abundant magical power.

But once it really started burning, it was completely consumed after only burning two [Heavenly Mandate]s!
Fortunately, Jing Qian only regarded this process of condensing the Dharma image as a rehearsal.

For him, this was a precious cultivation experience. Even though he only burned two [Heavenly Mandates], he truly completed a cultivation advancement and completely reached the [Dragon Elephant] Great Completion Realm. Jing Qian consumed all his magic power, completely burning [Sumeru] and [Entanglement of Cause and Effect] into a terrifyingly condensed magic intent.

Then, a [Daoist Venerable Fishing in the Void] materialized from it!

This is an incomparably powerful, superior Dharma form, containing boundless power.

Instantly, an immense amount of magical power burst forth, transforming into Jing Qian's own cultivation level.

Once the Dharma form was formed, his magical power surged on the spot, doubling in value!
Subsequently, the divine power of the Dharma Form itself began to evolve rapidly. Jing Qian felt that several unique supernatural abilities were evolving from the [Daoist Venerable Fishing for the Void Form].

Even so, this fake promotion was just a mirage and unsustainable.

However, for Jing Qian, all the experiences throughout the process were real and true.

Based on this promotion experience, he is now completely confident about his true path to advancement!
He was completely immersed in the illusion, letting time pass by without affecting his understanding of the Dharma.

Beside him, the students, in a similar situation, all sat cross-legged on the ground, immersed in the illusion.

On the high platform, eleven figures looked down.

On the [Mysterious Mirror], various strange and wondrous forms created by the students competed for beauty.

There are all kinds of beasts, fish and dragons, insects and creatures, mountains and seas, each with its own unique shape and status.

Only the [Daoist Venerable Fishing in the Void], which resides at the center and repels all other forms, attracts the attention of all great cultivators.

This stage is the time for all of you to make your final choices and truly select disciples whose cultivation aligns with your own.

Judging by the law, one's natural talent and ability are so clearly that there is no possibility of misjudging.

Jing Qian's clearly superior and miraculous appearance naturally garnered him even more attention.

The students present only slowly awoke after the enormous mirror had completely disappeared.

But then the high priest spoke again:
"Those of you who have failed to condense the Dharma image, please stand aside for now."

"You are also disciples of my academy, and you are allowed to observe the final stage of the sacrificial banquet."

"The remaining fourteen students will be considered the winners of this sacrificial banquet."

"The final stage of the sacrificial feast is one where there are no winners or losers, and no one is eliminated. It is a stage where you will divide up the spiritual energy of the sacrificial feast."

"If you are truly capable in this trial, you may ascend to the outer boundary of the [Yingfutu Realm] and offer sacrifices to the heavens."

"Only those who can break through the barrier will be the ultimate victors of this Academy Festival and will be qualified to choose freely from the twelve lineages on my Academy Ranking."

"If you haven't broken through the barrier, there's no need to worry!"

"Even ten academy festivals might not be enough for anyone to achieve this."

"Let's begin!"

With the high priest's command, the academy's grotto-heaven split open, and a terrifyingly powerful demon rose from the ground!
Jing Qian could see clearly that this was actually a "Star-Picking" Yin Ghost Corpse, raised by a fifth-grade "Earthly Fiend" demon beast during a Yin year!
He has the most ghost friends, so he would never mistake someone else for him!
After the ghosts and corpses appeared, the high priest spoke again:
"This year's Academy Festival will be presided over by the Omoki Shrine of the Kagami Shrine. All students, please prepare yourselves!"

After speaking, the academy's chief priest unleashed a strange magical power, which landed on the Yin ghost corpse.

Immediately, a silver chain appeared on its body and extended outwards, binding all fourteen candidates, including Jing Qian and Fan Zhuoyan, and lifting them into the sky.

Jing Qian felt a powerful force pulling him upwards, directly piercing through the boundary wall of the academy's grotto-heaven and continuing to rise.

As the group ascended from Yingdu, soaring into the sky, the majestic city began to shrink rapidly, as if the silver chains were extending in from beyond the boundary.

Even though Jing Qian already possessed the ability to fly and escape into the earth, this realm was quite peculiar. The high heavens were forbidden lands, and the closer one got to the boundary membrane, the more dangerous it became. One could not approach it casually.

Now, with the help of these ghostly corpses and strange chains, Jing Qian is finally able to glimpse another layer of the secrets of this world.

The higher they went, the thinner the surrounding energy became, yet it felt as if they had entered the deep sea, with endless pressure and repulsion falling upon them.

With each step forward, the pressure increases!
It was only thanks to the power of the [Star-Picking] Yin Corpse and the chains that their ascension was able to continue.

Even so, this pressure rendered the students immobile, leaving them only able to be passively dragged along by the chains.

Compared to the other students, Jing Qian is the "Son of Sumeru," the master of the grotto-heaven, who has obtained the profound essence of the Great Dao of Space, and also possesses the powerful observational "fate" of "Worldly Understanding."

While others were under this pressure, nearing collapse, and some had even fallen into a coma, he was intently observing all the secrets around him.

When he last peered into the outer membrane of this realm, he clearly saw that there were twenty-two grotto-heavens that together formed the outer membrane of this realm.

Upon closer inspection, the distinct yet interconnected grottoes are clearly discernible.

Of the twenty-two grotto-heavens, the Ying clan alone occupies five, covering an extremely vast area, where billions of Ying clan descendants live and multiply.

In addition, each of the other eleven lineages of the Daoist academies has a grotto-heaven embedded within this place.

The remaining six grotto-heavens are all owned by demons, monsters, and other unorthodox forces.

The ghostly figure before them, drawn by silver chains, headed straight for the Great Wood Cave Heaven under the banner of the Mirror Cloud Shrine.

The academy's festival banquet has now come to a close!

The word "sacrifice" in the banquet refers to this moment, when the [Star-Picking] Yin Ghosts and Yin Corpses are sacrificed to [Da Mu Cave Heaven].

Each academy's sacrificial banquet features a grotto-heaven within a boundary membrane, where offerings are made from the divine dynasty, and the sacrificial items are at least of the fourth rank [Star Picker].

There are countless secrets hidden within, which Jing Qian cannot know at this moment. He only clearly saw that when the Yin Ghost approached, the outer wall of the [Great Wooden Cave Heaven] opened up, and a rotten wooden arm reached out from it, dragging the Yin Ghost and Yin Corpse directly into the cave heaven to do something unknowable and indescribable.

By this time, everyone had reached the edge of the realm, and the pressure had increased immeasurably. Apart from Jing Qian, who was protected by the [Sumeru Ghost Skin] and could clearly observe this change, everyone else had already fainted.

Only Jing Qian, through the crack in the Great Wooden Cave, glimpsed in a flash what he saw inside: a thousand-armed wooden figure covered in rotten sores.

This wooden figure is a thousand feet tall, with a Buddha's head and eyes, and a ghost's body and skin. It is extremely strange and must be at least of the upper three rank!

After the Yin Ghost was swallowed by the cave, the silver chain did not stop. Instead, it continued to pull the fourteen candidates upwards along the predetermined path.

They were only released and the students were left behind after everyone had been pulled to the upper edge of the [Great Wood Cave Heaven], directly opposite the boundary.

Only Jing Qian was able to stand; everyone else was still unconscious.

This is an infinitely high place in the [Yingfutu Realm]. In front of him, there is a layer of thick clouds that can be reached. Beyond these clouds lies the realm beyond, the endless void, and infinite possibilities.

Jing Qian only needs to take one more step to successfully break through the barrier and completely destroy the academy's sacrificial banquet.

And that's exactly what he's been striving for!

At this moment, the external pressure had reached its limit, and even the slightest movement of his body was extremely difficult.

Yet his mind remained completely undisturbed. He gazed at the heavens and channeled all his magical power, unleashing the full potential of the [Sumeru] destiny!
Immediately, a streak of light flashed by, and spatial fluctuations spread. Relying on his teleportation ability, he successfully broke through the cloud barrier and officially arrived in the high heavens!

In an instant, an incredibly vast and open space appeared before Jing Qian's eyes.

This place contains immeasurable light and immeasurable darkness, and is infinitely far and infinitely wide!
It is a vast universe without boundaries.

He greedily scanned everything within his sight, only to be astonished to find that, unlike the starry sky he had expected, the stars were sparse beyond the earth's membrane.

The number of stars visible to the naked eye is less than one ten-thousandth of that in the previous life!

Conversely, in the airspace near the [Yingfutu Realm], there were a large number of fragmented meteorites, not enough to form a complete circle!
Jing Qian's worldview was updated; there was still a lot of unknowns in this world that he needed to explore, which made him excited.

More importantly, after his trip outside the realm, his [Sumeru] destiny pulsed, and the power of his title [Son of Sumeru] surged.

He even felt that he could rely on the power of the [Sumeru] destiny to wander the universe.

However, this place has little spiritual energy and is not a suitable place for cultivation. He still has a lot of cultivation to complete within the realm.

Moreover, he was bound tightly by a silver chain on his feet, and they dared not let him go out.

He will come to this void beyond the heavens sooner or later, but not now.

After enjoying this unique and wonderful scenery that belonged only to him, Jing Qian did not hesitate to return to the boundary membrane.

Then, the silver chains continued to bind him, causing him to fall towards the ground.

However, once the void above this boundary returned to calm, a void rift quietly tore open.

A beautiful female ghost, holding a large white worm, was kicked out of the middle.

Mo Pin'er's eyes widened, her head spun, and she looked around, utterly bewildered.

what happened?

After taking possession of me, they forced me to make talismans every day. After I finished, they would kick me away and leave me in this desolate void where I could cry out to heaven and earth in vain.

How can there be such a shameless man in this world?

[Yan Fuzi] Just as the old woman said, they are all bastards!

At this moment, Mo Pin'er was so angry that her chest bulged, and she almost came back to life from anger.

She only wanted to stab that villain named Jing Qian to death with a knife, but she couldn't find her target anywhere.

Little did she know, Jing Qian had no other choice!
The pressure in this void is too great, and the vital energy is too scarce. He wants to place a ghost here to carry his void beacon, and only Mo Pin'er can withstand it.

He could only make do with Mo Pin'er for the time being!
Once he has some free time, he'll catch a more formidable, ugly ghost and surely come back to exchange her for him.

(End of this chapter)